Glasshouse
The Glasshouse is an unfolding structure on the edge of the National Trust’s Woolbeding Gardens in West Sussex. Bringing contemporary innovation to an historic setting, the structure transforms from a jewel shape to a 141m2 crown-like space. The structure slowly unfolds on warm days, providing plants with sunshine and ventilation. Ten steel ‘sepals’ with a glass and aluminium façade open over four minutes using a hydraulic mechanism. In cold weather, the structure remains closed, providing shelter to a collection of subtropical species. The Glasshouse shelters an impressive, rare specimen of an Aralia Vietnamensis which provides shade for a collection of tender ferns growing alongside umbrella trees, magnolias, and bananas. Conceived in collaboration with The Woolbeding Charity and the National Trust, the Glasshouse is the focal point of a garden revealing the ancient Silk Route’s influenced on English gardens. The structure draws inspiration from the spirit of Victorian ornamental terrariums. It deploys cutting-edge engineering to provide a functional protective structure while at the same time offering a beguiling, decorative element to the new Silk Route Garden.
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